Shirley Franklin
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Shirley Franklin was the first Black woman elected mayor of a major southern city in the United States. |
Shirley Clarke Franklin (born
May 10 1945) is an
American politician, a member of the
Democratic Party, and, since
January 7 2002, the mayor of
Atlanta,
Georgia. The 58th
mayor of Atlanta, she was the first female to hold the post and became the first
black woman to be elected
mayor of any major Southern city. Franklin is the fourth black mayor of Atlanta, the latest in a line of African American mayors that stretches back to 1974.
Originally from
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, Franklin received a bachelor of arts degree in
sociology from
Howard University, and earned her master of arts degree in sociology from the
University of Pennsylvania.
Her election as mayor was her first ever run for public office, but she had previously served as the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for Mayor
Maynard Jackson and was subsequently named Chief Administrative Officer and City Manager for Mayor
Andrew Young. Franklin succeeded
Bill Campbell after winning the 2001 city-wide election with 50 percent of the vote, defeating several candidates including Democrat
Rob Pitts who received 33 percent.
Franklin made repairing the Atlanta
sewer system a main focus of her office. Prior to Franklin's term, Atlanta's combined sewer system violated the federal Clean Water Act and burdened the city government with fines from the
Environmental Protection Agency. In 2002, Franklin announced an initiative called "Clean Water Atlanta" to address the problem and begin improving the city's sewer system.
In 2005, Franklin was named one of the five best big-city American mayors by
TIME Magazine (
Press Release). On July 4, she ran in Atlanta's
Peachtree Road Race for the third time. In October 2005, Franklin was included in the
U.S. News & World Report Best Leaders of 2005 issue (
Shirley Franklin: The Pipe Dreamer).
An overwhelmingly popular mayor, Shirley Franklin has nontheless received criticism over her sweeping pro-business policies, which have resulted in increased property values and higher real estate taxes. This has angered some segments of the city's populace who claim these policies are pushing the poor out of Atlanta. In response, emphasis has been placed on affordable workforce housing as a key component of new development activities within the city including the Franklin-supported
Belt Line project.
With solid popular support and strong backing from the business sector, Shirley Franklin was easily reelected Atlanta Mayor on
November 8,
2005, garnering more than 90 percent of the vote. Her popularity has led to increased speculation that Franklin may well be a viable contender for a future Georgia governor's race.
Franklin has been criticized for the cost and results of a new brand and marketing campaign, budgeted at $4.5 million, made to coincide with the opening of the new
Georgia Aquarium. The campaign includes a new logo, banners, TV ads, and a hip-hop style song called "The ATL", written by producer
Dallas Austin that was met with mixed reviews.
In February 2006, TheWhiteHouseProject.org named Shirley Franklin one of its "8 in '08", a group of eight female politicians who could possibly run and/or be elected president in 2008. She is the only person the list to not be a Governor, Senator or Presidential Cabinet member, and one of two African-American women on the list; the other is
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
On June 26, 2006, it was announced that the papers of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would not be sold at auction but instead would be given to his alma mater, Morehouse College. This effort was led by Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin:
"I never imagined I could contribute to the continuation of Dr. King's legacy in as a significant way. And I'm really humbled I was able to do anything to continue his legacy. I'm almost moved to tears."
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Atlanta mayor's office*
Campaign website*
CityMayors profile
